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Topeka residents have new opportunities for lifelong learning this summer. The University of Kansas’ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is partnering with several Topeka organizations to offer enrichment courses.

Topeka, Kans. (May 28, 2019) – Topeka residents have new opportunities for lifelong learning this summer. The University of Kansas’ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is partnering with several Topeka organizations to offer seven enrichment courses at Washburn University, Brewster Place, Aldersgate Village and the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging. Beginning June 5, each course includes three two-hour sessions and covers relevant events throughout history and today. Registration is open for the following courses:

Seven Kansas Women Who Couldn’tVote
Retired lawyer and KU adjunct instructor Jerry Harper will profile seven women who found to affect policy in public spheres dominated by men even without the right to vote, including Sara Robinson, Julia Clarina Nichols, Carry Nation, Diggs, Mary Lease, and Lilla Monroe, among others.

Faiths of Our Founders
Prayer in public schools, the Ten Commandments on courthouse property, and nativity scenes at city hall — should these be permitted in American civic life? We’ve heard plenty from today’s politicians and pundits. What were the views of the founders of our republic? Barry Crawford, professor emeritus of religious studies at Washburn University, will address these issues and more.

America’s First Ladies
Behind every successful man, there is a woman. The role of First is ever changing and many of them are embedded in our memories, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, Abigail Adams and Hillary Clinton, among others. Former college instructor Tyler Habiger will recount their contributions to our country.

Osa and Martin Johnson: Life Is a Safari
Martin and Osa Johnson of Chanute, Kansas, traveled throughout the South Pacific and Africa in the 1920’s documenting their adventures with reels of black and white film. Former Lowman Hill Elementary School principal and Friends University instructor Russ Hutchins will recount their adventures starting in Chanute before heading to more exotic places.

On the Road: Highways, Cars and Vacations of a Bygone Era
The became a car-oriented nation after II, and Americans took to the road, eating homemade sandwiches orfood from roadside diners and spending the night at modest tourist courts while on the to the Grand Canyon, Rushmore or lesser known travel destinations. Dr. Carl Graves recalls the years when gas was cheap and cars were large and the places we visited.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Time, Place and Temperament
This course reviews the time-tested truths in Hamlet, Shakespeare’s most famous play. better understand Shakespeare’s own powerful version of the immerse you in historical times, offering solutions for persistent puzzlesand ever-importantthemes. Scholar Carol Grieb, who has researched The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark for more than a decade, will facilitate the discussion.

Established in 2004, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers noncredit enrichment short courses and events specially develop for people 50 and older. Each course costs $50, and members of the KU, K-State and Washburn alumni associations can claim a $10 per semester discount.

To enroll for courses or for more information, visit www.osher.ku.edu or call 913-897-8530.

About KU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Part of KU Professional & Continuing Education, KU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, with its network of more than 120 instructors, provides members with a wide-range of noncredit enrichment courses, covering history, literature, art, music, religion and more without the pressure of exams or homework. The Institute delivers accessible, innovative learning environments to participants 50 years and older, at 27 sites in 15 cities across Kansas and Greater Kansas City.